What is ATHRA?

Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA) is a registered health promotion charity established to reduce the harm from tobacco smoking in Australia. ATHRA’s aim is to provide smokers and health professionals with evidence-based information on safer alternatives to smoking. ATHRA’s broader goal is to encourage the complete cessation of tobacco smoking in Australia.

Smoking and health

Quitting is the most important thing you will ever do for your health. Your mental and physical health will start to improve immediately after quitting and you will live longer. Many studies have shown that quitting smoking leads to an improved quality of life. After quitting, people are…

How to quit

The most effective way to quit smoking is with professional counselling to help break the smoking habit combined with stop-smoking medication to relieve the cravings for nicotine and withdrawal symptoms. The support and advice of a health professional …

Tobacco harm reduction

Tobacco harm reduction refers to switching to less harmful nicotine products for those who are not able to quit smoking or nicotine use. The focus is on eliminating smoke and preventing harm to health and not on preventing the use of nicotine itself…

What is vaping?

Using a vaporiser is known as ‘vaping’. Vaporisers (vapes or e-cigarettes) are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid (usually containing nicotine) into an aerosol for inhalation. Vaping is used as a safer substitute …